The Boston Bruins have come to terms with David Backes on a five-year contract worth $30 million, according to Sportsnet's Elliotte Friedman.

Backes, who had served as the Blues' captain since 2011, will join the Bruins coming off his third straight 20-goal campaign.

The 32-year-old was originally drafted by the Blues in the second round in 2003. He'll exit the franchise ranked fifth all time in games played, sixth in goals, and sixth in points.

Copyright © 2016 Score Media Ventures Inc. All rights reserved. Certain content reproduced under license.

OTTAWA - Defenceman Michael Kostka signed a one-year, two-way contract with the Ottawa Senators on Friday. The contract will carry an annual value of $800,000 in the National Hockey League and $325,000 in the American Hockey League. Kostka...

The Penguins have rewarded general manager Jim Rutherford for bringing a fourth Stanley Cup to Pittsburgh.

The NHL's 2015-16 GM of the year has signed a three-year contract extension to oversee the club, according to Chris Johnston of Sportsnet.

Rutherford has been with the Penguins since 2014, and made a series of key acquisitions that propelled the team to a championship this past season, including Phil Kessel, Nick Bonino, Carl Hagelin, Matt Cullen and Trevor Daley.

He also won a cup as GM of the Carolina Hurricanes in 2006.

Copyright © 2016 Score Media Ventures Inc. All rights reserved. Certain content reproduced under license.

The St. Louis Blues have signed forward David Perron to a two-year contract with an annual average of $3.75 million, according to TSN's Bob McKenzie.

More to come.

Copyright © 2016 Score Media Ventures Inc. All rights reserved. Certain content reproduced under license.

The Detroit Red Wings announced the signing of free-agent forward Frans Nielsen to a six-year contract Friday.

Nielsen AAV is $5.25M

— Elliotte Friedman (@FriedgeHNIC) July 1, 2016

More to come.

Copyright © 2016 Score Media Ventures Inc. All rights reserved. Certain content reproduced under license.

The New York Islanders have signed unrestricted free-agent Andrew Ladd to a seven-year contract, according to Sportsnet's Elliotte Friedman, as first reported by Sportsnet's Nick Kypreos.

Andrew Ladd and New York Islanders come terms on a 7 year/ $38.5 M deal. #NYI

— Aaron Ward (@NHL_AaronWard) July 1, 2016

More to come.

Copyright © 2016 Score Media Ventures Inc. All rights reserved. Certain content reproduced under license.

The Vancouver Canucks have signed free-agent forward Loui Eriksson to a six-year deal, with annual value of $6 million, according to TSN's Darren Dreger.

One of the top wingers in the free agent crop, Eriksson is expected to fit immediately into Vancouver's top six, and possibly on a line with fellow Swedes Henrik and Daniel Sedin.

Eriksson, 30, spent the past three campaigns with the Boston Bruins, scoring 30 goals and 33 assists last season.

Copyright © 2016 Score Media Ventures Inc. All rights reserved. Certain content reproduced under license.

The Florida Panthers have signed free-agent goaltender James Reimer to a five-year, $17-million contract, according to Sportsnet's Elliotte Friedman.

More to come.

Copyright © 2016 Score Media Ventures Inc. All rights reserved. Certain content reproduced under license.

The Edmonton Oilers have just snagged one of the biggest fish in free agency.

The club has officially signed rugged winger Milan Lucic, according to Pierre LeBrun of ESPN.

Seven years, $42 million for Milan Lucic in Edmonton

— Pierre LeBrun (@Real_ESPNLeBrun) July 1, 2016

The signing reunites Lucic with general manager Peter Chiarelli, under whom he played several seasons with the Boston Bruins.

The 28-year-old winger, who's coming off a three-year, $18-million deal, recorded 20 goals and 55 points with the Los Angeles Kings this past season after being traded by Boston last summer for Martin Jones, Colin Miller and the 13th-overall pick at the 2015 NHL Draft.

A second-round pick of the Bruins back in 2006, Lucic has averaged 20 goals and 50 points for every 82 games played since entering the NHL in 2007.

He brings an intimidating physical presence to that modest scoring touch, as well as the experience of winning a Stanley Cup with Boston in 2011 and making another appearance in the Final in 2013.

Copyright © 2016 Score Media Ventures Inc. All rights reserved. Certain content reproduced under license.

Jimmy Vesey is making the most out of his time in the free-agent market.

The prized prospect, who just finished his fourth season at Harvard, walked out on the Nashville Predators, and had his rights subsequently traded to the Buffalo Sabres.

Buffalo is adamant on figuring out a deal, using Jack Eichel - a longtime friend of Vesey's - and a spot in the top six as bargaining chips, and it appears to be having some impact on the forward.

"We hope to meet with Buffalo in the near future and are open to anything," Vesey's representative, Peter Fish, told The Buffalo News.

However, Vesey is indeed open to any opportunity, and other teams are surely interested.

Jimmy Vesey, UFA as of Aug. 15: ''I have a couple of teams in mind.''

— Kevin Paul Dupont (@GlobeKPD) July 1, 2016

Along with the Sabres, Vesey has been linked to his hometown Boston Bruins and the Toronto Maple Leafs, among others.

Copyright © 2016 Score Media Ventures Inc. All rights reserved. Certain content reproduced under license.